Permutation-padlock



(Model.) l 2 sheets-sheet 1'.

' N. SPEICHER. v

v PERMUTATION' PADLOGK. Y

No. 352,373, n Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

. uuml 2 Sheets-Sheet 2A'.

(Model.)

NQ SPEICHER.

PERMUTATION PADLOGK.A

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NrTn'D STATES PATENT Trice.

NICHOLAS SPEICHER, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

P E RM UTATloN- PADLooK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,373, dated November 9, 1886.

Application tiled April l, 18

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, N IonoLAs SPEICHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented an Improved Oombination or Permutation Padlockfand I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specilication.

My invention belongs to the class of pad locks; and it consists in the special features of improvement hereinafter set forth.

The principal or essential parts of the padA lock are a lockingshackle of hook form, a cylindrical inner shell, in which the shackle Slides, a series of circular plate or disk tumblers situated and revolving within the said shell for locking and unlocking the shackle, and a cylindrical outer shell surrounding the inner shell, and serving as the instrument by which the operator actuates the tumblers to lock and unlock the shackle; also,aset of ringwashers are located between the several tumblers to keep the same separate from one another and in the exact positions required; and another washer or block is preferably used and located in the outer shell between the outermost tumbler and the outer closed end or head ofthe said shell, for holding all the tumblers in place, and for tightly closing the aperture in the said head of the shell against the admission of dust or dampness into the interior of the padlock.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side view ofthe shackle; Fig. 2, a side View of said shackle, taken in a direction at right angles-to the view in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a side view of the inner shell; Fig. 4, an open end view of the same; Fig. 5, asimilar view of the inner shell with the shackle inserted therein; Fig. 6, a side View of the outer shell; Fig. 7, an inner end view of the same; Fig. 8, a side View of one of the disk-tumblers; Fig. 9, a-n opposite Vside view of the same; Fig. 10, a side view of one of the ring-washers used` between the tumblers; Fig. 11, an edge View ofall the tumblers and ring-washers placed together as when located in the inner shell; Fig. 12, a side View of the outer` packing-washer located in the B6. SerialNo. 197,441. (Model.)

outer shell; Fig. 13, a side view of the entire padlock, showing the shackle locked; Fig. 14, a side view thereof, with the shackle unlocked and drawn out; Fig. 15, a central axial section of the whole padlock, the shackle being locked; Fig. 16, an end view of the inner shell, showing one of the tumblers therein in two positions, locked and unlocked; Fig. 17, a side view of the inner shell, showing a modified form of the same; Fig. 18, an axial section of the same and ofthe outer shell around it, showing another modification of the inner shell.

In the drawings, A represents the shackle; B, the innershell; G, the outerl shell; DE F G, aseries of four disk shape tumblers located in the inner shell; H H H, the ring-washers between the tumblers, and I the outer packing washer or block between the tumblers and ,the head ofthe outer shell.

The shackle A has a straight body or shaft, a, and a hook, b, which enters the staple of the article to be locked, and c the extremity of the hook turned to a position parallel with the shalt a. The shaft a extends through the centers of the two shells and of the tumblers and washers, and slides inward and outward therein to lock or unlock. The aperture through the head d of the inner shell, B, may be round, so that the shackle may turn therein when it is unlocked and partly drawn out; but when the shackle isl pushed into the shell as far as it will go, then not only does the end c ofthe hook ofthe shackle enter an aperture through a lateral extension or flange, e, of the shell, but there is a pin or projection,f, on the shaft of the shackle to enter a notch, g, in the head d of the shell next toits central shaft aperture or eye. rlhus Athe shackle, .when locked, is yheld against turning to any appreciable extent in the shell. The shackle enters the hole of the flange e and its pin enters the notch g simultaneously, so that no care is required in pushing the shackle into place for locking. The inner surface of theend c of the hook of the shackle is flattened or eut away to aplane surface, so as to fit closely ovenan extension, h, of the flange e, extending parallel with the shaft of the shackle outside of the two shells. This extension receives a coupling pin or screw, i, projecting inward through the same and into an annular groove, j, nin the periphery of the outer shell, C, which fits over the inner shell for the purpose of keeping the two shells together' and to prevent getting access to the `interior Work of the-padlock. The flattened end of the shackle, constructed and arranged as shown, andV as above set4 forth, covers, conceals. `and shields the coupling pin or screw when the shackle is locked, but allows access to it when the shackle is nnlocked and drawn out. A rim, k, around the head of the inner shell, extends outward flush with the external periphery of the outer shell, which fits close up to the rim, as shown. In Fig-17 I have shown a modified construction of the inner shell, in having an extension over y theouter shell parallel with its axis entirely around the said shell, instead of the mere extension h., shown in other figures of the drawings. Such a peripheral extension entirely covers and conceals the coupling-groove of the v outer shell.

' different thicknesses is to prevent the tumblers The main part ofthe shaft cof the shackle is not round or cylindrical,but has some other form, which, fitting accurately in an aper ture of the same outline form in each tumbler, will prevent the tumblers from turning thereon. The form shown inthe drawingsis apartial cylinder with a flattened side, l, formed by cutting away considerably less than olie-hall' of the shaft, as shown, and the tuinblers all have a form to accurately fit the shaft. This is a good form, and is easily made.` Then, of course, in order to lock theV shackle by those tumblers, they or some one of them must be turned out of position, which will not allow the shackle to register with the same and slide therein. For this purpose the shaft a ot' the shackle is cut away or notched at mnop, leaving a central rounded axis of the shaft ot'sufiicient strength, each notch heilig of sufficient width to receive its tumbler, and the several notches being separated by strong webs or parltitions q q q, or portions ofthe shackleshaft of the full size to tit in the tumhlers. The tumblers are separated by the ring-washers H H H, which occupy positions around the several webs, so as to hold the several tumblers in the exact positions necessary to turn in their respective notches when the shackle is in locking position.

The tumblers are preferably, if not essentially, made of different thicknesses, and their notches are also correspondingly of different Widths, the inner one being' thickest and the others successively somewhat thinner to the outermost one. The purpose of' having these from ever turning on the vshackle-shaft when the said shaft is partly drawn out or pushed in through the tumblers, and thus locking the shackle in the wrong position; and itis obvious that with this construction none ofthe tumblers can turn in any of the notches, except when the shackle is pushed completely into locking position. On the other hand, the intermediate washers and the webs of the shackle-shaft are preferably made of uniform thickness, so

that only one thickness thereof is required to The several tumblers are turned for locking l and unlocking the shackle by turning the outer shell, C, around the inner shell. A pin, s, projecting from the inner surface of the head of the shell, strikesa shortpin or projection, t, on -the outer surface ofthe outer tu mbler, in a corresponding circle to turn that tumbler in either direction, and similarly a pin, u, on the inner surface ofthe outer tumbler, strikes apin, t, on the outersurf'ace of the next tumbler, to turn it in either direction,and successivelya pin on the inner surface of each tumbler strikes a pin on the outer surface of the next inner tumbler to turn the same. .These pins are all in corresponding circles and at different vangles or distances from the same initial point-as, for instance, the middle of the flat side of the aperture in each tumbler, according to the form shown in the drawings-so that the several tumblers have to be turned to different an les to register with the shaft of the' shac le. These angles or distances are arbitrarily fixed, whereby a great variety of permutations may be produced, proper instructions being given the purchaser of each padlock as to what extent of turning movement is required for each tumbler. This is conveniently expressed by numbers, the whole circumference being. for example, and as represented in the drawings, divided into sixty paris and properly nnm bered; and by reversing-the sides of either tumbler a different number is or may be produced, as indicated in Figs. 8"and 9, wherein the tumbler shown is marked 56 on one side and 48 on the other. With such a construe tion and capability of reversion a padlock v with four tumblers will give all the permutations or changes thatvmay be desired. The number of each 'may be' indicated by stamping on the sides of the tu mblers, as indicated in the said figures referred to, or given in printed directions accompanying each padlock.

In order that the innermost tumbler may be reversed as well as the others, an annular groove, v, is formed in the bottomorinner surface of the head of the innershellfort'heinner coupling-pin of that tumbler to run in.

An index-scale, w, is formed on the outer periphery of the outer shell, C, showing the requisite number of divisions as sixty, (shown linthe drawings) and suitably numbered. A starting or zero mark, x, is also made on the adjacent rim of the inner shell, as a guide to the movements of the outer shell in locking and unlocking.

With a construction. such as thus far set forth the padlock may be locked and un- IZO locked, for example, as follows: To lock the shackle, after it has been pushed into place, or locking position, the zero-point on the index-scale is brought to the guide-mark or pointer on the inner shell, and the outer shell is then turned one revolution either to the right or to-the left. Now, for one example of unlocking, the tumblers being arranged therefor, the manipulation may be as follows: First, turn the outer shell five revolutions to the left, finally bringing the-zero-mark on the outer shell accurately opposite to the pointer-niark on the innershell; second, turn the outer shell to the right until the division 36 is brought opposite to the pointer-mark, and then continue to turn it in the same direction three revolutions farther, finally bringing the mark 36 exactly opposite to the pointer-mark; third, turn the outer shell to the left until the division 56 is brought to the pointer-mark, and two revolutions farther, nally bringing the mark 56 accurately to the pointer-mark; fourth, turn the outer shell to the right till the division 32 is brought to the pointer-mark, and one revolution farther, nallyl bringing the mark to the pointer-mark. The shackle is then free, and can be drawn out.

Now, to illustrate a change in the permuiation, Fig. 8 shows a tumbler marked 56. This corresponds with the division marked 56, mentioned in the directions above given. Then suppose that particulartumbler to be reversed in the padlock` showing the number 48, as indicated in Fig. 9. With this change, instead of turning the outer shell to the division 56, as directed in the third step of the process, the division 48 is to be' used. This will illustrate how the method of changing the combination is simple and easily effected.

The outer edge, y, of the outer shell may be milled, to roughen it and allow a trm hold of the shell while manipulating it. The shackleshaft projects entirely through the shells of the padlock and considerably beyond the same, so that sufficient sliding movement may be given thereto to attach it t'o and detach it from the staple of the article or thing locked. In order that the shaft may not be entirely drawn out of the shells, a stop is removably attached to theproj ecting end of the bolt-shaft. This may conveniently be in the form ofa ring, J, sprung into a hole in the end ol' the bolt.

In order to exclude moisture, dust, or corroding vapors from the interior ofthe padlock, a packing washer or block, I, is or may be placed inside of the outer shell around the shaft of the shackle, which accurately fits an aperture in the washer, which is cylindrical on its outer periphery, accurately fitting the cylindrical shackle-aperture in the body of the shell, and a shoulder, z, on the washer ts closely against the inner surface of the head of the shell to fulfill the purpose above specified. The interior surface of the head of the shell may be countersunk to receive this shoulder, as shown; but this is not essential.

I claim as my inventionl. In a permutationpadlock, the combination of an inner shell, a series of locking-tumblers revolving within the shell, an outer shell 7o revolving around the inner shell for turning the tumblers, and a hook-shackle extending axially through the shells and tumblers, and sliding therein, for securing or releasing the article to be locked, substantially as herein specified.

2. The combination of a shackle, A, having anotched shaft, d, inner shell, B, in which the shackle slides, revolving outer shell, C, surrounding the inner shell, and tumblers D E F 8o G,located and turning in the inner shell, having apertures accurately tting the general form ofthe shackle-shaft, and adapted, respectively, to turn in the notches of the shackleshaft by the turning of the outer shell, forlocking and unlocking the shackle, substantially as herein set forth. Y

3. The combination ofthe shackle A, having aseries of tumbler-receiving notches, m n o p, of different widths,a seriesof locking- 9o tumblers, D E F G, all of different thickness, and respectively fitting the said notches, an inner shell, B, in which the shackle slides, and revolving outer shell, C, surrounding the inner shell, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The'combination of the tumblers, the intermediate spring washer-rings, and the inner containing-shell slightly grooved in its inner periphery to retain the washer-rings, substantially as herein specified.

5. The combination of the shackle A, having a hook-extension, c, and a coupling-pin,f, on its shaft, and the inner shell, B, having a perforated extension-flange, e, to receive the said hook-extension, anda notch, g, in its head d, to receive the said coupling-pin, substan- IOO IOS

tially as and for the purpose herein specified.

6. The combination o'f the outer shell, G, having an annular groove,j, in its' outer periphery, lthe inner shell, B, having a Hange-extension, h,projecting over the said couplinggroove ofthe outer shell, and provided withan inwardly-projecting coupling lpin or screw, z', and the shackle A, having a hook-extension, c,V covering the said coupling screw or pin when the shackle is locked, forthe purpose herein specified.

7. The combination of the outer shell, C, having a cylindrical aperture in its head, the shackle A, extending through the same,and lthe packing washer or block I, fitting around the shackle-shaft, and turningin the aperture of the head of the shell, for the purpose herein specified.

8. rlhe combination of the sliding shackle A, having tumbler-notches ma op in its shaft, with intermediate webs, q qq, thereon, the inner shell, B, having a pointer-mark thereon, revolving tumblers D E F G Within the shell 13o B, tting the respective notches in the shackle-f4 shaft, and having coupling-pins tu on their faces, washers H H H between the respective tumblers for keeping the tumblers imposition,

IIO

and outer shell, C, having va couplingpin, s, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set to couple it with the outer tumbler, and an inmy hand in presence of two subscribing witro dex-scale on its periphery adjacent yto 'the nesses. pointer-mark on the inner shell for accurately 5 determining the revolving movements of the NICHOLAS SPEICHER' said outer shell in locking and unlocking the Witnesses: shackle, substantially as and for the purpose LOUIS FEESER, J r., herein specified. WJ. RODGERS. y 

